Last Updated | December 19, 2025
Population health management is the process of improving clinical health outcomes of a defined group of individuals. It requires a coordinated, data-driven strategy that goes far beyond reactive care. The measurable impact of the best population health management software is huge; organizations see up to a 63% reduction in hospital readmissions and an 18% decrease in per-capita medical expenses, demonstrating the value of unifying fragmented data. Reflecting these needs, the best population health management software platforms for 2026 include Epic Healthy Planet, Oracle Health’s HealtheIntent, Arcadia, Persivia CareSpace, and athenahealth. Each stands out for strong EHR integration, advanced analytics, and support for value-based care.
How Does Population Management Software Work?
PHM software brings together data from multiple sources like integrated EHR systems, self-reported patient information, claims data, pharmacy records, and social determinants of health (SDoH) to create a unified patient profile.
Once aggregated, the software analyzes these inputs to help providers better understand each patient’s risk factors and care needs. This analysis also highlights trends across entire populations, enabling organizations to set informed goals based on both population insights and performance benchmarks.
How PHM Software Improves Population Health Management
- Centralize patient data: Integrates EHRs, claims, SDoH data, pharmacy management information, and patient-reported outcomes into a single, actionable view.
- Contextualize individual and population-level care needs: Uses population health analytics to assess risk, track chronic conditions, and highlight patterns that affect underserved or high-risk groups.
- Set measurable, data-driven goals: Aligns insights with population benchmarks and performance metrics, critical for organizations in value-based care or alternative payment models.
- Prevent avoidable health events: Identifies high-risk patients early and flags gaps in care, reducing hospitalizations and emergency department visits.
- Improve cost management: Enables preventive, coordinated care that helps organizations manage rising healthcare costs, especially important since chronic diseases drive the majority of preventable deaths and contribute heavily to the nation’s $4.9 trillion healthcare expenditure.
Real-World Example: How PHM Software Personalizes Care
A 61-year-old patient is diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. With population health management software, your organization can:
- Analyze his clinical and social risk factors
- Match him with appropriate in-network care teams or disease-management programs
- Deliver personalized interventions designed to improve long-term outcomes
Best Population Health Management Platform: Top 15 Picks for 2026
Epic Systems – Healthy Planet (Population Health Management)
Epic delivers population health capabilities through Healthy Planet, an integrated part of the Epic EHR. It aggregates clinical, claims, and social risk data to give care teams a complete view of patient populations and supports risk identification, care gap closure, and coordinated care for value-based programs.
Key Features
- Unified clinical, claims, and SDoH data in a single record
- Risk stratification and registries for high-risk cohorts
- Care gap alerts and outreach lists
- Quality measure tracking (e.g., HEDIS, CMS)
- Care coordination and care management workflows
Advantages
- Teams work in the same Epic interface they use for documentation and ordering, reducing duplicate data entry.
- Native integration reduces data latency between EHR events and population health dashboards.
- Quality and risk views align closely with value-based contracts used by many Epic clients.
Disadvantages
- Organizations not on Epic must rely on interfaces, which usually give a less seamless experience.
- Deploying and optimizing Healthy Planet typically requires dedicated analysts and IT support.
Cerner (Oracle Health) – HealtheIntent PHM
HealtheIntent is Oracle Health’s cloud-based population health platform that aggregates and normalizes data from clinical, claims, financial, and social sources. It supports predictive risk models, population analytics, and care management for large systems in value-based care.
Key Features
- Longitudinal, cross-system patient records
- Predictive risk stratification models
- Registries and population dashboards
- Care management tasking and workflows
- Quality, regulatory, and contract performance reporting
Advantages
- Because it is EMR-agnostic, health systems can bring in data from multiple EHRs into one population view.
- Predictive tools and registries help large organizations prioritize outreach to high-risk groups at scale.
Disadvantages
- Smaller organizations may find the platform’s breadth more than they can realistically maintain.
- Effective use often depends on having in-house data or analytics teams.
eClinicalWorks
eClinicalWorks embeds population health tools within its EHR, allowing providers to track care gaps, monitor chronic conditions, and segment patient groups directly from their clinical system.
Key Features
- Care gap reports and recall lists
- Risk and cohort analytics for chronic conditions
- Integrated patient portal and communication tools
- Quality dashboards for incentive and compliance programs
Advantages
- Clinicians can run population reports and outreach lists directly inside the EHR they use every day.
- Community health centers and ambulatory practices can manage PHM without a separate standalone platform.
Disadvantages
- Organizations needing advanced, multi-source analytics may outgrow the built-in reporting capabilities.
- Scaling to very large, multi-EHR ecosystems can be challenging.
NextGen Healthcare
NextGen combines its ambulatory EHR with population health features that use clinical and claims data to support chronic disease management, quality performance, and care coordination in outpatient settings.
Key Features
- Population analytics dashboards
- Care gap alerts within provider workflows
- Chronic disease registries
- Quality performance and compliance tracking
- Basic care coordination tools
Advantages
- Ambulatory and multispecialty practices can manage panels and quality metrics within a familiar system.
- Built-in registries make it easier to run targeted outreach for chronic disease programs.
Disadvantages
- More complex value-based programs may require external analytics or BI tools.
- Customizing analytics beyond standard reports can be limited without additional tools or services.
Innovaccer – Population Health & Data Activation Platform
Innovaccer provides a data activation platform that unifies clinical, claims, lab, and SDoH data, then layers AI-driven analytics and automation on top to support population health and value-based care.
Key Features
- Unified data layer with cleaned, standardized records
- Predictive risk scores and impactability models
- Worklists and automation for care management teams
- SDoH insights, gaps, and resource matching
- Contract and quality performance dashboards
Advantages
- Organizations can connect many different data sources and see a single longitudinal record for each patient.
- AI-powered risk and impact tools help care teams prioritize who to contact and what interventions to offer.
Disadvantages
- Teams must be ready to adopt data-driven workflows; otherwise, many advanced tools remain underused.
- Integration and configuration work are critical and can be resource-intensive at the start.
Health Catalyst – Population Health & Analytics Platform
Health Catalyst provides a robust analytics platform that turns large data sets into actionable population health insights. It supports cohort building, risk models, and performance improvement for organizations in value-based care.
Key Features
- Flexible data warehouse and subject-area data models
- Cohort creation and segmentation tools
- Risk models for different conditions and programs
- Outcomes tracking and benchmarking
- Automated, repeatable reporting packages
Advantages
- Organizations can define very specific cohorts and metrics that align with their own strategies.
- Built-in analytics frameworks and advisory services help teams move from raw data to targeted improvement projects.
Disadvantages
- Users typically need some analytics literacy to fully leverage the platform’s flexibility.
- The data modeling phase can take time before end-users see complete dashboards.
Arcadia.io – Healthcare Analytics & PHM Platform
Arcadia aggregates clinical, claims, and SDoH data into a unified analytics platform, giving organizations visibility into population performance, quality metrics, and care management effectiveness.
Key Features
- Data aggregation across multiple EHRs and claims sources
- Population-level dashboards and drill-downs
- SDoH enrichment and risk segmentation
- Quality measure tracking and benchmarking
- Care management and registry tools
Advantages
- Multi-EHR organizations can pull everything into a single analytic view without rebuilding from scratch.
- Quality and benchmarking tools show how populations compare across practices, networks, or contracts.
Disadvantages
- Integration with legacy systems may require coordination and time.
- Smaller organizations may not use the full breadth of analytics available.
Unite Us – SDoH Coordination Platform
Unite Us focuses on connecting healthcare and community organizations to address social determinants of health. It coordinates referrals, tracks social needs, and measures non-clinical outcomes across networks.
Key Features
- SDoH screening and needs capture
- Shared referral and closed-loop tracking across partners
- Community resource directory and network management
- Reporting on service utilization and social outcomes
Advantages
- Care teams can see whether patients actually connect with food, housing, transportation, or other services.
- Partner organizations share a common platform, reducing lost referrals and communication gaps.
Disadvantages
- Clinical and financial analytics are limited; it is not a full PHM analytics replacement.
- Networks must actively onboard community partners; without them, value is restricted.
Veradigm (formerly Allscripts)
Veradigm offers population health and analytics tools that integrate with clinical workflows to help providers and payers manage risk, quality, and care coordination across populations.
Key Features
- Data aggregation from EHR and claims systems.
- Risk and quality measure analytics
- Registries and care gap reports
- Care coordination and communication tools
Advantages
- Integration with clinical systems lets users act on population insights without leaving their core workflow.
- Both provider and payer organizations can view shared performance metrics.
Disadvantages
- Because it serves many use cases, some organizations may need configuration effort to tailor dashboards.
- Analytics depth can depend on how completely data sources are integrated.
HealthEC (Elligint)
HealthEC, now part of Elligint, provides a population health platform designed for value-based care, combining analytics, risk stratification, and care coordination tools.
Key Features
- Risk stratification across populations and contracts
- Care gap identification and outreach lists
- Quality dashboards aligned to programs (e.g., ACOs)
- Care management and coordination tools
Advantages
- Teams can quickly see which patients and contracts drive the most risk and opportunity.
- Quality dashboards help organizations track progress against specific value-based arrangements.
Disadvantages
- Smaller brand visibility may require more evaluation effort from buyers.
- Organizations with very complex data landscapes may need additional integration work.
VirtualHealth – HELIOS Platform
VirtualHealth’s HELIOS platform is built for care management and utilization management, especially in Medicaid, Medicare, and complex population programs. It centralizes member data, care plans, and engagement activity.
Key Features
- Centralized member profiles with medical, behavioral, and social data
- Configurable care plans and pathways
- Risk scoring for high-utilization and complex members
- Utilization management workflows and authorizations
- Communication and engagement tracking
Advantages
- Care managers get a single workspace for assessments, plans, tasks, and documentation.
- Health plans and delegated entities can align utilization decisions with population management goals.
Disadvantages
- Provider-only organizations may find payer-oriented features less relevant.
- Standalone analytics may still be needed for advanced population reporting.
AssureCare – MedCompass Care Management Platform
MedCompass supports end-to-end care management for chronic and complex populations by combining assessments, care plans, and interdisciplinary workflows in one platform.
Key Features
- Structured assessments and risk screens
- Individualized care plans and goals
- Tasking and collaboration for multi-disciplinary teams
- Member activity and outcome tracking
Advantages
- Care managers follow consistent, guided workflows, improving documentation and follow-up.
- Interdisciplinary teams can see what others are doing for the same member in real time.
Disadvantages
- The platform focuses more on care execution than on deep population analytics.
- Organizations may still need separate tools for financial, contract, or high-level analytic views.
Inovalon – ONE Platform
Inovalon’s ONE Platform aggregates large volumes of healthcare data and applies analytics to support population insights, quality measurement, and performance improvement across payers and providers.
Key Features
- Data ingestion and normalization at scale
- Population analytics and segmentation
- Quality and compliance measurement (e.g., Stars, HEDIS)
- Reporting for payers and provider networks
Advantages
- Organizations with large, distributed populations can standardize measures and reporting across contracts.
- Quality teams can track performance on regulatory and incentive programs from a single platform.
Disadvantages
- Smaller organizations may find the platform more complex than they need.
- Requires strong data governance to keep measures accurate and trusted.
Meditech Expanse
Meditech Expanse is a cloud-based EHR with built-in tools that support population health by enabling connected care, longitudinal records, and analytics across care settings.
Key Features
- Longitudinal patient records accessible across facilities
- Registries and basic population dashboards
- Care coordination tools within clinical workflows
- Analytics to monitor population trends and utilization
Advantages
- Providers can move from patient-by-patient views to panel views without leaving the EHR.
- Cloud and interoperability features make it easier to share data across facilities in a network.
Disadvantages
- Advanced PHM analytics may require complementary tools or external BI platforms.
- Optimization of PHM features often depends on how each site configures the EHR.
League – Digital Front Door & Engagement Platform
League provides a digital front door platform that unifies patient access, navigation, and wellness engagement, helping organizations support preventive and population health goals through digital experiences.
Key Features
- Centralized digital front door (web and mobile)
- Personalized care journeys and recommendations
- Wellness and benefits navigation tools
- Messaging and engagement tracking
Advantages
- Patients can find care, resources, and guidance through a single digital entry point.
- Personalization engines can nudge different population segments toward preventive and appropriate care.
Disadvantages
- The platform does not replace core PHM analytics or care management systems.
- Success depends on strong adoption and ongoing content/experience design.
Next Steps with Folio3 Digital Health
As healthcare organizations embrace automation, many are turning to advanced population health management (PHM) solutions to streamline data workflows and improve care coordination. Integrating the best PHM platforms with EHR systems like Epic or Cerner enables real-time population insights, accurate risk identification, and seamless data updates across clinical and operational teams.
Folio3 Digital Health helps healthcare providers build and implement PHM solutions tailored to their workflows. Our team of healthcare technology experts designs integrations that unify data sources, reduce manual work, and strengthen care management capabilities. Every implementation meets HIPAA compliance standards and leverages HL7 and FHIR interoperability frameworks to ensure data security, scalability, and system integrity.
Closing Note
Population health management software has become an essential part of delivering better, more coordinated care. The right platform brings your data together, highlights where patients need support, and helps teams stay ahead of emerging risks. Every solution has its own strengths, so the best choice depends on what matters most to your organization, whether that’s analytics, care management, patient engagement, or handling complex populations. As healthcare continues shifting toward proactive, value-focused care, these tools can make it easier to deliver meaningful improvements for the communities you serve.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Does PHM Software Actually Work for Providers?
The software works in three main steps:
- Data Unification: It aggregates and cleanses patient data from many sources (EHRs, claims, pharmacy, and social determinants of health).
- Risk Stratification: It uses analytics to sort the population and identify high-risk individuals who are most likely to get sick or need costly care.
- Action & Coordination: It alerts care teams to close care gaps (like missed screenings) and coordinates personalized, preventive interventions.
What is the Biggest Challenge in Implementing PHM Software?
The biggest challenge is data integration and interoperability. Healthcare organizations often struggle to bring together and standardize patient data from many fragmented sources (different EHRs, separate claims systems, etc.) into a single, comprehensive, and actionable view.
How is PHM Different from Traditional Healthcare?
Traditional healthcare is generally reactive (treating illness as it occurs) and individual-focused (fee-for-service). PHM is proactive (preventing illness) and population-focused (value-based care), using data to target interventions at the groups most at risk.
Does PHM Software Replace the Electronic Health Record (EHR)?
No. PHM software does not replace the EHR. The EHR is the legal record used for documentation, ordering, and billing. PHM software integrates with the EHR to extract data, analyze it at a population level, and then push actionable insights back to the provider’s workflow.
About the Author
Iffat Jamal
Iffat is a Digital Health Content Marketer at Folio3, with a background in medicine and over three years of experience in health tech content. Her medical insight improves support in creating accurate, engaging content that bridges clinical knowledge and digital innovation. Iffat's SEO and deep domain knowledge expertise bring measurable results.
